Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Irony? I think not.

"Let's give Judge Alito a fair up-or-down vote, not left or right," saidSen. John Thune, R-S.D.

He was one of several Republicans to say so, and there was irony in that.

After battering Democrats for years about denying GOP judicial candidatesyes-or-no votes, Republicans eagerly acquiesced in Miers' withdrawal withouteither hearings in the Judiciary Committee or a vote on the Senate floor.

There is a tremendous difference between voicing your displeasure for a nominee and saying that you will not vote for her vs. keeping her in committee and not allowing the full Senate to vote up or down. Perhaps I am wrong-but wasn't the issue with Miers whether she had enough votes in the full Senate, not in committee? If so, then there is no irony.

There is a tremendous difference between voicing your displeasure for a nominee and saying that you will not vote for her vs. keeping her in committee and not allowing the full Senate to vote up or down.

Yes. Particularly if you're the minority party.

And, Steve, Miers withdrew under pressure, and from her nominating president's own party -- the same majority party that bitterly complained about Democrats using parliamentary procedure to prevent an up-and-down vote. That, my friend, is objectively ironic.